


Mouselet's Great Adventure

by Small_Hobbit



Series: A Further Twelve Days of Christmas [12]
Category: Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:20:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21922804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: Mouselet falls asleep in her beloved inspector's overcoat pocket and doesn't wake up until he's at the railway station.
Series: A Further Twelve Days of Christmas [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1571593
Comments: 14
Kudos: 7





	Mouselet's Great Adventure

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bunn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunn/gifts).



I was very pleased when my beloved inspector arrived at 221B Baker Street one afternoon a few days after Christmas, but rather disappointed when he said he would not be stopping for long, he had only called in to finalise his plans with Mr Holmes. Normally I would have sat in the opening of my mousehole and watched him, for there could be nothing better than simply admiring the beautiful man, but for some reason I was feeling rather sleepy, so I decided to have a quick nap in the pocket of his overcoat.

I am not sure what had happened to the contents of the mince pie I had consumed earlier that day, perhaps they had fermented, but I did not wake when my inspector put his overcoat on. In fact, I did not wake for some time, because when I finally came to, I could hear voices and clanging and smell all sorts of strange smells. I risked a peak out of the pocket and saw a sign which said ‘Welcome to Paddington Station’.

This was rather a shock, but there was nothing I could do about it, but hope my favourite inspector would be returning to Baker Street after he had completed whatever he and Mr Holmes had agreed. I settled back down to, not exactly enjoy, but experience my first solo train journey. I have, of course, travelled by train before with both Mr Holmes and Dr Watson but this was rather different and somewhat frightening.

At first, everything went smoothly. I had another quick look round and saw my inspector was on his own in a compartment. I was just deciding I might as well go back to sleep, when I heard the door to the compartment slide open and a rough man’s voice (or should it be a man’s rough voice?) said, “We’ve come for the letter. Hand it over and there’ll be no trouble.”

Naturally, my brave inspector wasn’t going to stand for that, and said so, but another man said, “On your own head be it,” and gave a very nasty laugh. I wasn’t sure what happened then, but I felt my inspector sag down and sort of collapse back in his seat.

I was very alarmed, but what could I do? If I’d been the Ferret, I could have bitten the men, but, although I can bite, I don’t think the bite of a small mouse would be quite as effective. I knew there was a letter in his overcoat pocket, but as far as I could see it was addressed to a Miss R Fairbright, and it didn’t look like it was an important letter that nasty men would want. Therefore, I scurried up the inside of my poor inspector’s overcoat and checked the inside pocket. There was a letter in there as well. I didn’t have time to check the name, but I suspected this would be the letter the men were after. Gripping it firmly with my teeth I pulled it out.

But what to do with it? It was then that I had my brilliant idea. I scurried back down and apologising to Miss Fairbright I pulled her letter into the inside pocket and then pulled the other letter into the pocket I had been sitting in. You may wonder why I had managed to do all this without being noticed, but the two men were too busy arguing about what had been done to my dearest man to notice a small mouse on the move.

Anyway, one of the men then reached into my poor injured inspector’s coat pocket and took the letter to Miss Fairbright. He clearly wasn’t a very clever man, because he put the letter in his own coat pocket without checking it. 

By now the train was slowing down, and the rough voice said, “Come on, we need to get off,” and they both left the compartment.

Dr Watson has told me that if there is an emergency then there is a chain to pull. This is all very well if you are Ferret-sized or bigger, but I am not heavy enough to pull the chain, even if I were to hang from it. I was therefore forced to find another way of getting attention.

There were a number of people getting onto the train, so maybe one of them could help. I found the sweet inspector’s handkerchief and dragged it to the door into the train corridor. I then perched on the door frame where the window joins it, and pulled the handkerchief around me, like a shawl. Then, as people walked past I moved along the door frame. At first, nobody noticed me, but then a small boy said, “Look!”

His sister looked and said, “Mummy, it’s a dancing mouse.”

Their mother, who was naturally taller than them looked through the window and said, “Fred, come here. Look!”

Fred, who I assume was her husband, looked and then slid the door open. I had jumped off the door as quickly as I could and scurried back to my inspector. I had to abandon the handkerchief – I do hope he doesn’t mind. Fred came into the compartment, looked more closely at my dear man, and then pulled the emergency chain. He also opened the window and shouted for help. 

After that, a lot of people came running and a policeman entered the compartment. My wonderful inspector started to sit up (I was very relieved, as you can imagine) and the policeman helped him off the train. As soon as he could my inspector insisted a telegram be sent to Mr Holmes.

He was taken to what I believe was the station master’s office and there he was given a cup of tea. I’m not sure what else was happening, I wasn’t paying much attention, simply glad my inspector didn’t look too bad. Anyway, after a little while, someone came in with a telegram which my inspector opened and read out loud. “Remain at station. Am on my way.”

This was good news. Firstly, if Mr Holmes was coming, Dr Watson would come too, and my brave inspector would be cared for. And secondly, I knew I could get home.

After some time, Mr Holmes and Dr Watson arrived. My lovely inspector looked so sad and said, “I’m afraid I lost the letter.”

Mr Holmes was just about to say something when I moved the letter which was now in the outside pocket. My inspector put his hand in (he does have lovely strong fingers) and drew out the letter. “What?” he exclaimed. “I put this letter in my inside pocket, I’m sure of it.”

Dr Watson said, “You did, I watched you.”

“May I see the letter?” Mr Holmes asked. I presume it was given to him (I was still inside the pocket, of course, which is why I couldn’t see). “Did you by any chance have another letter with you?”

“Yes, there was one I’d written to my old nanny. I hadn’t got round to posting it.”

Mr Holmes gave one of his sudden barking laughs. “Let’s hope our villains enjoy nanny’s letter then.”

I’m not sure what happened then, because suddenly my dearest inspector seemed to sag a little (not as badly as he had earlier) and Dr Watson was there, with an arm round him, saying, “Are you okay, old chap? I think it’s time we got you home. You’re still suffering from a bang on the head.”

There was a bit of discussion and it was agreed Mr Holmes and Dr Watson would catch the next train back to London, ensuring my wonderful man got back safely. The doctor helped him to stand, for he was still a little wobbly, and in the process, Mr Holmes put his hand in the coat pocket I was sitting in. He wiggled his fingers and I hopped onto them. He then lifted me into his own coat pocket.

After so much excitement, I fell asleep and so missed the journey back, not waking until we reached home, to hear Dr Watson asking Mrs Hudson if she could make up the sofa for my wounded inspector.

Mr Holmes hung up his coat and took me out of his pocket. “Don’t worry, Mouselet,” he said. “Hopkins will be fine by tomorrow and Watson will keep an eye on him tonight. I knew it had to be you as soon as I saw the toothmarks on the envelope. You’ve obviously had a great adventure.”

I thanked him for his help and then scurried back to where I could observe my inspector. As soon as my beloved man had fallen asleep, I trotted over to the arm of the sofa, from where I could join Dr Watson as we watched over the best man in the world for the night.


End file.
